Short answer: the Denon Home 350 for better sound quality, the Amazon Echo Dot Max for the lower price. The Denon Home 350 ranks #9 of 10 powered desktop speakers, rated 3.6/5, at $749. The Amazon Echo Dot Max ranks #5, rated 3.5/5, at $119.99, $629.01 cheaper.
What the Amazon Echo Dot Max does well: A compact Alexa smart speaker with a 2.5-inch woofer and dedicated tweeter, an excellent far-field microphone and a balanced midrange for clear voices. It supports AAC Bluetooth, which the Denon Home 350 lacks. The catch: Engadget’s main complaint was that it is a real step down from the discontinued Amazon Echo (4th Gen) it effectively replaces at the same price: that older speaker paired a 3-inch woofer with dual 0.8-inch tweeters, against the Dot Max’s single 2.5-inch woofer and one tweeter, and frequencies felt smushed together without a clean bass-to-treble separation.
What the Denon Home 350 does well: A mains-powered Wi-Fi smart speaker with six drivers on six Class D amps, lossless streaming support and built-in Alexa with far-field mics. It keeps a wired aux input, which the Amazon Echo Dot Max lacks. It has an adjustable EQ, which the Amazon Echo Dot Max lacks. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Amazon Echo Dot Max. The tradeoff: RTINGS measured a slightly boomy sound profile out of the box and disappointing directivity, so the sound changes noticeably off to the side of the cabinet, plus compression artifacts as it nears max volume.
Buy the Amazon Echo Dot Max if the price is the priority over sound quality, or the Denon Home 350 if sound quality is the priority over the price.
Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
A compact Alexa smart speaker with a 2.5-inch woofer and dedicated tweeter, an excellent far-field microphone and a balanced midrange for clear voices.
Amazon $119.99 eBay
A mains-powered Wi-Fi smart speaker with six drivers on six Class D amps, lossless streaming support and built-in Alexa with far-field mics.
Amazon $749.00 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Amazon Echo Dot Max | Denon Home 350 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $119.99 each | $749.00 each |
| Ranked | #5 of 14 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #9 of 10 in Large Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa Home Theater) | Yes (HEOS multi-room, stereo pair with a second Home 350) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter | External AC adapter |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes (2.4/5GHz) |
| App | Yes (Alexa) | Yes (HEOS) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field, mic mute) | Yes (far-field) |
| EQ | No | Yes (Bass/Treble sliders) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app) | No |
| Drivers | 2.5in woofer, 1x tweeter | 2x 0.75-inch tweeters, 2x 2-inch midrange drivers, 2x 6.5-inch woofers |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, 3.5mm aux |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | Yes |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions | 3.9” x 4.4” x 4.9” (99 x 112 x 124 mm) | 15” x 9.1” x 7.1” (380 x 230 x 180 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ | Amazon Alexa |
| Streaming Services | Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, TuneIn | HEOS app streaming (Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer, SoundCloud, TuneIn), AirPlay 2, Roon |
| Weight | - | 14.8 lbs (6.7 kg) |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.4 |
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